Car rental prices at Ottawa Airport

Ottawa Airport car hire costs around $73 a day for an Intermediate car like a Kia Forte if you book about a month ahead for October 2026. A Compact car such as a Nissan Versa is about $66 a day, while a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu averages $75. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks drops the Compact price to $57. Across the year, prices swing from $65 a day for an Economy in November 2026 to $171 for a Fullsize in August 2027, so check our price checker for your exact dates.

For Ottawa Airport, booking late saves about 102%, with typical prices falling from $142 a day 9 months before your trip to $78 2 weeks before. For October 2026, an Intermediate car costs $73 a day booked about a month before you fly and drops to $63 in the last 2 weeks. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of travel. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed the cheaper window.

Europcar is the cheapest company at Ottawa Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $57 a day over the last 12 months. That saving requires a credit card, as Europcar refuses debit cards and holds a $717 deposit. Budget averages $74 a day across 616 prices and scores 84/100 from customer reviews, but also requires a credit card. If you need to pay with a debit card, Alamo averages $86 across 3,233 prices.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Alamo is the best-reviewed company at Ottawa Airport, scoring 93/100 from 60 reviews with an average desk wait of 26 minutes. Alamo averages $86 a day for an Intermediate car. Europcar is cheaper at $57 a day, but does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Budget scores 84/100 from 8 reviews, while National has 64 reviews but does not yet have enough reviews for a score.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Ottawa Airport, deposits range from $359 with Alamo and Budget to $717 with Europcar, and 2 of the 5 counters accept a debit card. National and Alamo accept debit cards, while the other 3 desks require a credit card in the lead driver's name. The deposit amount and card rules are shown beside each vehicle, so filter for debit cards in the price checker before comparing offers. Any additional counter extras are listed under each car.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

Payment rules and desk queues catch people out at Ottawa Airport, where 3 of the 5 counters refuse debit cards. Those 3 counters demand a credit card for the security deposit, which can reach $717. Desk waits also vary sharply, averaging 14 minutes at Budget but stretching to 35 minutes at National. All 5 suppliers have desks directly at the airport, so you will not need a shuttle bus.

Only 53% of prices at Ottawa Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

An Intermediate car like a Kia Forte at Ottawa Airport costs around $73 a day in October 2026 and fits 5 people with their luggage. It seats 5 people and holds 4 bags, making it comfortable for city driving. A Compact car like a Nissan Versa costs $66 a day but takes only 3 bags, so luggage can crowd the back seats. Every car offered is an automatic, while electric and hybrid options are not currently offered.